


Hope In The Darkness

by magic_at_mungos



Category: The Song of the Lioness - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-19
Updated: 2013-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-27 02:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magic_at_mungos/pseuds/magic_at_mungos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone needs a bit of hope after a war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope In The Darkness

"Absolutely not," Alanna snapped at Jon. "Neither of us want anything big as what you're suggesting." She folded her arms and glared at him. "And if you insist, we'll go and get married with the Bazhir. You know as well as I>anyone it's legal. Myles adopted me there and that's bigger than getting married."

Jon ran his hands through his dark hair, which still showed silver threads from the Coronation and looked strained. "Alanna, you're Champion." He pinched the bridge of his nose and continued "You're making enough of a scene by marrying George. You know some of the old families are refusing to acknowledge him because he's nowhere near the Book of Silver or Gold."

Alanna made a noise of absolute outrage but before she could speak, Jon continued, "I know you don't like the politics of Court or big social events but you need to be seen celebrating at Court. I need to be seen as accepting your marriage."

Alanna sighed and said, "I'll talk to George. I'm not making any promises, as it's our wedding. Just for us and ours. I don't want to spend the whole day being nice to people that I don't know or like." Jon leant back in his chair and gave her a tired smile. "Thank you. I can't make you do anything. I never have. But since the coronation, we need all the good news we can get. The realm needs to see that life is getting back to normal."

******

George quietly lit the candles in their rooms as Alanna told him what had happened with Jon. He sat down in the large chair by the fire and poured them both a cup of spiced wine. "Lass, you have a duty to the realm and to your king. It comes before your duty to you and yours. You knew that when you took your vows as a knight and then as Champion. Jon's trying to do what's best."

Alanna sipped her wine and ran her hand through her hair. She suddenly felt like the whole world had turned upside down and realised with sadness that she couldn't do things to please herself any more. She knew deep down in her heart that doing her duty was what a knight was being about. This sort of thing was never told in the tales in front of the fire. Alanna felt like a little girl again and sighed.

"I know you're right. I know Jon's right. The selfish part of me wants something just for us." George leaned over and kissed her nose. "Your sense of duty is part of why I love you lass." Alanna tilted her head up and kissed George fully on the mouth.

"It'll be as quiet as we can."

******

The next three months felt like they passed in a whirl and Alanna felt like she didn't have a moment to herself. If she wasn't in pointless meetings that bored her silly about the economy or crop rotation, she had to fight for every inch with the tailors and the masters of etiquette. She was beginning to regret her sense of duty as she realised how much was involved in a noble wedding. She thought Jon and Thayet's wedding was complicated because they were royal. Organising the ceremony at the Temple of the Mother had been easy as was choosing who was to attend. Eleni and Myles, Jon and Thayet, Raoul, Gary, Coram and Rispah and the important people of her tribe. That was all that was needed. It was everything _else_ that was giving her a headache. The sitting of people at dinner. Who could and could not be invited including what to do with the Bazhir. There was still a great deal of resentment of the prominence of Bazhir at Court since Jon became the Voice.

******

The early winter day dawned crisp but cold. A light frost had settled in Corus and had made the palace grounds look like they had been made out of ice. The novices of the Temple of the Mother took Alanna to cleanse herself before the ceremony from the small temple in the palace. It felt like the night before her Ordeal all over again. In order to be who she is going to be Alanna needed to reflect whom she was and how she got there. She was from a family that was in the Book of Gold but was also the first Lady Knight in living memory. She wasn't sure whether she was feared or loved in equal measures but she realised that she was a bundle of contradictions. She smiled softly to herself that George loved her for herself and not what she represented. As long as he was there, Alanna felt sure that everything was going to be all right. She could face anything as long as he was by her side.

******

Alanna drifted through the ceremony as if she was in a dream. If someone had shaken her, she would have woken up and she was would have to worry about the starving kingdom and the raiders along the coast and the thousand and one things that kept Gary and Jon up at night. The whispers from the Lower City that Jon was cursed and the strained look on George's face as he tried to allay fears amongst the thieves and those who he ruled not so long ago.

She turned her face up and saw the deep love in his hazel eyes. It now no longer terrified her but filled her with warmth and he bent down to press a light kiss on her lips. A smattering of applause filled the temple and echoed in her ears. Alanna broke the kiss with a faint blush. She thought she now understood what Jon had meant by the realm needing hope. Marriage gave promises of new life and hope for the future. Tortall was changing and she was part of changing it for the better. She ran her hand over her stomach and gave herself a secret smile. Maybe George had a little surprise coming to him in the near future.


End file.
